How Do Strangers React When a Shopper Can’t Feed Her Family?

What Would You Do, the candid camera show, has done it again. The latest episode shows an actress in a grocery store apparently running out of money to pay for food for her kids. What happens next with real shoppers is quite touching

One in five American households is on food stamps, according to the USDA. Times are tough for everyone these days, but families are being hit especially hard. So what do you think happens when a young woman in a supermarket runs out of food stamps to pay for her groceries? The candid camera TV show, ABC's What Would You Do?, which puts people in difficult situations on hidden camera, had three different actresses come into a grocery store in New Jersey and pay for groceries with food stamps. In each scenario, the woman does not have enough funds to pay for her food.

Usually people try to mind their own business, but in each situation, several people offered to help pay for the woman’s groceries. One woman, when interviewed after, explained why she did it.

“Everyone has hardships but if you can help people it’s important, no matter what. I’ve been in her place before. If you can help somebody else, do it.”

But not everyone is so generous. The WWYD team also planted a “heckler,” who complained about people helping out a woman on food stamps. What happens next may bring a tear to your eye.

Check out more food and drink related-What Would You Do videos below:

A young man with Down Syndrome is berated by customers at a grocery store. Watch what happens next.

An overweight woman is berated by her waiter at a restaurant. See how people react around her.

Joanna Fantozzi is an Associate Editor with The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @JoannaFantozzi

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Joanna Fantozzi is an Associate Editor with The Daily Meal. She writes breaking news about all things food and drink, and could live off of melted cheese, if that were possible. For the latest food & drink updates visit our News in Brief page.